Switch-operating device for street-railways.



No. 802,538. EATENTED 00T. 24, 1905. E. M. E J. M. VEN EE'EQN, SWITCH OEEEATING DEVICE EOE STEEET RAILWAYE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 19, 1905.

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No. 802,538. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. R. M. n J. M. VAN EATON.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE FR STREET RAILWAYS.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 19, 1905.

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ROHARD M. VAN EATON AND JULIA M. VAN EATON, OE PUEBLO, COLORADO.

SWlTCH-OPIERTING DEVlCE FOR STREET-HAULWYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application led June 19, 1905. Serial No. 266,007.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we,RIcHARD lVLVAN EATON and JULIA M. VAN EATON, citizens of the United States,residing at Pueblo,in the county of Pueblo and State of Oolorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Devices for Street-Railways; and we do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in switch-operating devices Jfor railways, adapted to be operated by levers with which the cars are provided, so that the switch-operating devices may be controlled by a motorman or car-operator without the necessity of his leaving the car; and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of our switch-operating devices mounted upon a portion of a street-railway rail, the latter being shown partly in section to more clearly disclose our improved devices. Fig. 2 is atop plan View of a street-railway switch provided with switch-operating devices embodying our improvements. Fig. 3 is a perspective View, in broken section, of a portion of the casting 6, the lever 3, and spring 25, showing clearly the relation of said spring to lever 3. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, in broken section, of the front end of a street-car upon which is mounted the switching-cam and which is shown to be running upon a street-car track that is provided with our switching devices, the two elements 13 and 12 of which are shown protruding above the rail. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the switching-device cam ready to be mounted upon a car. Fig. 6 is a perspective view ot' a street-car rail and switch-point about which is connected the complete switching device, the latter being housed by the castings 32 and 33.

Upon the rail 5 are securely bolted castings or supporting' members 6 7 8, which are properly spaced apart and are adapted to receive the levers 1, 2, and 3, all of which are pivotally mounted on the casting 7. The lever 3 is on the outer side of the rail 5. The

lever 1 is on the inner side of said rail, and the lever 2 is at a suitable distance from the inner side ot' said lever 1. The rail has an opening 24, and the lever 3 has a tappet 14, which is adapted to move through the said opening and to engage the outer side et the switch-point 4 to move said switclrpoint from the rail 5. The lever 1 has at its free end a tappet 15, which is adapted to engage the inner side of the switch-point 4 to move the latter toward and against the switch-rail 5. The lever 2 is connected, by means oi arod 16, to the lever 3, said rod passing' through the opening 23 in the rail 5. The lever 1 is provided at one end with a wedge-shaped cam 13, which rises therefrom. A spring-arm 22 is secured to the underside ofsaid lever 1 near its cam end and bears and operates on the casting or base member 8. A stop-block 20 is secured on the said base member in the path of the said spring-arm, its function being to limit the movement of the cam end ot' the lever 1 in one direction, the said spring-arm serving to keep the cam end of said lever elcvated. The fulerum of said lever 1 is indicated at 10.

The lever 2 has at one end a cam 12, the oblique face of which is reverse to that of the cam 13, said cam 12 being otherwise similar in construction to said cam 13. A springarm 21, which is secured to the under side of the lever 2 near its cam end, bears and moves on the base member 8, and the latter has a stop-block 19, which serves by'engagement with said spring-arm to limit the inner movement of the cam end oi' the lever 2.

The bolts which secure the base members to the under side of the rail 5 are indicated at 17.

A spring 25, which is here shown as a coiled retractile spring, has one end 27 secured to the base 6 and the other end 26 secured to the free end of the lever 3. Said spring normally moves the free end o'lI said lever out- Wardly to Withdraw its tappet 14 from the switch-point 4, such movement ot' the lever causing the rod 16 to move the lever 2 to a position parallel to said lever 3.

The spring-arms with which the levers 1 2 are provided by frictional contact with the base member 8 serve not only to elevate the cam ends oi' such levers, but also to prevent casual movement of said levers.

The housing shown in Fig. 6 is provided to secure the switching devices from ice, mud,

and dust to a practical extent and may be re- IOO moved to enable the switching devices to be cleaned when the same becomes necessary. This housing device is secured in place b y means of spikes which are driven into the cross-ties. Said housing devices are provided with sheet-metal coverings 28 29, which are fitted on the cam ends 12 13 of the levers 2 1, respectively, said coverings being movable on the housing with said cam ends and serving to cover the openings in the housing, which clear and permit said cam ends to move.

The levers 1 2 are operated by a cam 34, carried by the car. The said cam is adapted to be shifted laterally on the rod 39, which serves to carry it, and will be initially set to engage either the cam 12 or the cam 13, according to whether the car is to proceed on one track or the other after passing the switch. Screws 38 secure the arms 35, which carry said cam to the said rod 39. Said cam 34 may be raised or lowered by means of a bail 37 and a chain 36. The rod 39 has its bearing in brackets L10, which depend from the bottom of the car, said brackets being provided with the braces 41.

To switch the car ofi" the rail 5, the cam 34 will be set so that it will engage the cam 13 of lever 1 and cause said lever by means of its tappet 15 to move the switch -point 4C against the rail 5. VIf the cam 34 is set to engage the cam 12 of lever 2, the movement of said lever 2 will cause the lever 3 to be also moved, so that its tappet 14 will engage the switch-point A and move said switch-point from the rail 5.

The chain 36 enables the cam 34 to be raised to pass over any object which may be on the track.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In combination with a switch-point, levers 1, 3, on opposite sides thereof and each having means to engage and move the switchpoint therewith, said lever 1 having a cam at one end, a lever 2, having a cam at one end and opposite the cam of the lever 1, a link connecting the levers 2 and 3, to cause the latter to move with the former, and a cam element carried by a car and movable into engagement with the cam of either of the levers 1, 2, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a switch-point, levers 1, 3, on opposite sides thereof and each having means to engage and move the switchpoint therewith, said lever 1 having a cam at one end, a spring to move the lever 3 in one direction, means to limit the movement of the lever 1 in one direction, a lever 2 having a cam at one end and opposite the cam of the lever 1, a link connecting the levers 2 and 3, to cause the latter to move with the former, and a cam element carried by a car and movable into engagement with the cam of either of the levers 1, 2, substantially as described.

3. ln combination with a switch-point, levers 1, 3, on opposite sides thereof and each having means to engage and move the switchpoint therewith, said lever 1 having a cam at one end 5 a lever 2 having a cam at one end and opposite the cam of the lever 1, a link connecting the levers 2 and 3, to cause the latter to move with the former, yielding means coacting with each of the levers 1, 2, to prevent casual movement thereof, and a cam element carried by a car and movable into engagement with the cam of either of said levers, substantially as described.

4;. A switch having a movable point, levers to move said point and having upwardlyextending cams for engagement and operation by a cam carried by a car7 a housing covering the said levers and having openings to clear their cams, the latter projecting above the housing and closures for said openings, through which the cams extend and slidable on the housing and movable with and by the levers, substantially as described.

Tn testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD M. VAN EATON. yJULIA M. VAN EATON Vitnesses JOSEPH S, Monnow, FRANK F. MoRRow. 

